Thanks for checking out the video today! This was a labor of love, as the Donkey Kong Country series means the world to me. What memories do you have of DKC's music? Let me know in the comments below!
Memories of excitement and relief when coming back home after school and finally escaping from reality. Nowadays, I often listen to the original soundtracks while working. It truly does some good to the soul. And it’s one of the only soundtracks to which I can listen day after day after day without ever getting tired or finding it repetitive.
Im right there with you in that these games were life changing... and still provide some comfort when life gets rough. You also nailed it with the stand-out tracks. You should check out 'Untamed Heart' in Klonoa. This is an awesomely David Wise'y track.
This is one of those cases of technical limitation leading to the creation of something very special. There's just nothing quite like the DKC SNES soundtracks.
As soon as you mentioned having two favorite tracks in DKC 2, my first thought was, "Is it Stickerbrush Symphony and Forest Interlude?" It's really cool to see someone appreciate Forest Interlude as much as I do. That frothy synth and the rising background hum creates a vibe like no other. I think the soundtrack in DKC 2 is really a testament to how well a good soundtrack can complement a game and make it even more enjoyable than just its core gameplay.
For me it was Stickerbrush Synphony, Red Hot Bop, and Mining Melochany. The atmosphere, the humming tune, and way the song reverates when playing the cave levels was like nothing i had ever heard of as a kid. Its another level i used to pause, just so the song will play on loop. Forest Interlude was also an awesome track that i mostly associate with incredibly hard levels though lol
I remember as a kid, pausing the game before finishing levels because I didn't want the track to end. You nailed the way this music in particular made/makes me feel. Awesome video!
When the title says that the music changed your life - I literally resonate with that on so many levels. I have always loved the music and now I'm learning to compose music
This game holds a special place in my heart. I used to play it with my aunt as a child, she loved the Aquatic Ambience music. We recorded it from the tv onto tape and then later in life I burned it on disc for her. When she died, that game and song take me back to beloved memories. Brilliant, really.
Sometimes, I'll turn on aquatic ambience and listen as I go to sleep and whenever I play the emulator and playing donkey kong, I'll just go to the water stage and stop progressing. Just swimming in the water listening to aquatic ambience. Your aunt had really good taste in music. Sorry for your loss.
Growing up with the SNES in the 90's was maybe one of the greatest times to be alive as a kid in the entire history of human kind. The feelings and memories these soundtracks evoke in me are truly priceless.
I literally pumped my fist and audibly shouted "YES" when you said Forest Interlude is your favourite from DKC2, that might legitimately be my favourite VGM of all time too, it's technically impressive in it's layering, super emotional while also heavily ambient, it has basically all of David's strengths rolled up into one so well.
You nearly brought me to tears while revisiting the music of DKC. *Especially* DKC2. I was only in kindergarten and going into first grade when I was playing it, Yoshi's Island and a handful of other games on the SNES back in the early to mid 90's. I became entranced with the music of these games, but especially DKC2's. I loved just about every track, but Mining Melancholy hit me harder than any other. And only when I got a year or two older and finally managed to reach Bramble Blast did Stickerbush Symphony become one of my all time favorites as well. Maybe it's because I was playing the level or thinking of the game around the time, but I always, ALWAYS get flooded with pleasant memories of mid to late Autumn, especially late October and all of November (which it is now as I write this; go figure.) Being that young and excited to play in leaves with my family, prepare for Halloween with getting pumpkins, decorating the house, and eagerly anticipating trick-or-treating, and awaiting the joy of Christmas all November long. Without this getting longer than it is, Stickerbush Symphony makes me 5 years old again and fills me with warm Autumn childhood feelings. And somehow, without me fully understanding why, it also evokes fondness for my grandparents. I miss them all so very much, even now that I'm in my 30's. May they all rest in peace. Thank you for this wonderful video about an amazing collection of games and their sublime music. You're truly spot on about the incredible power of music that many of us, myself included, take for granted all too often. David Wise, among many others I admire (Koji Kondo, Junichi Masuda, Stewart Copeland, Grant Kirkhope, etc.) have blessed us with an amazing experience that is simply irreplaceable and cannot be easily replicated. Thank you to all who are involved with these incredible games we love, and for the music that moves our souls.
Wow, this comment really hit me. I have so much nostalgia for this series it hurts. I owe a great deal to some of the best video game composers over the years :)
Thank you for sharing this memory friend. Extremely relatable to the point of tugging a string in my heart. Awesome video and wholesome feelings all-around ❤️
@@Cranster18 It's all good; I'm usually late to show up to things too, so I can relate. Speaking of relatable, that sense of wonder you brought up is another fond memory I have of playing DKC2. One vivid memory I have is visiting Klubba's Kiosk and being mesmerized by the ominous forest behind him. The dead trees, the crevasse separating them from the kiosk, and that ominous bright green glow (maybe it was mist? I still don't know after all this time.) For a little toddler like me, that sight just did something to me that's hard to explain. Best words I can use are your own; a "sense of wonder." Just curious why the forest is covered in green mist, and how spooky and dangerous it looked. A part of me wanted to go on an adventure in there and the other part of me thought it was too creepy to step into. Those woods behind the kiosk will forever live rent free in my mind till the day I die. And it's just so cool that a game like this left me with such wonder and awe that I can think back on as an adult today.
Honestly shed a tear watching, can’t even believe you literally mentioned all the greats and ended with my favorite. Forest interlude was my ring tone for years, and I love playing it while I drive. Such a well done video!
I always cite Donkey Kong Country, particularly David Wise, for introducing me to my love of atmospheric music. Not only do these compositions encapsulate incredibly memorable melodies, but they also evoke such depth in conveying atmosphere; they really breathe life into areas of the game. If you had someone listen to the tracks and ask them to guess where each might take place, I don't think there would be a single track that would be guessed incorrectly. They truly are THAT good at setting the mood and complementing the area. And even with all my praise, we all know this is just scratching the surface. As someone who's been looking to get back into her studies of music theory, I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful video. I'll be coming back to view it again and again, that's for certain!!
Forest Interlude is my favorite song of all gaming and I am so happy to not be alone in feeling this! Hits me right in the heart every time from when I was a teen to even now as an adult. Great video! Oh and subscribed! :)
I have to thank Taia777 for introducing me to stickerbush symphony. His hour-long video appeared in my RUclips feed back in 2017 I think. First, I didn't know it was from a DK game, even though I've always been a Nintendo nerd, I thought it was a song composed by this random person online, the title was in Japanese too, so I couldn't know what was it's meaning. Some years later, when I found out it was a theme from DKC2, I searched up the song and I fell in love with every single track of it. Thank you, David Wise, thank you Rare and thank you Taia777!
It's odd that, when the top 16-bit soundtracks are named, the DKC series isn't instantly named the #1 example. Even among the Final Fantasies, Chronotriggers, and Streets of Rages, there's nothing quite as rich, bold, soothing, and (most importantly) eclectic as Rare's trilogy of masterpieces (especially the first two).
I agree. Chrono trigger has really awesome melodies, but I don't find myself listening to any of chrono triggers music as often as I listen to aquatic ambience.
@@usaskjock David wise was involved in the third one, he just had a minor role. He composed the save file theme (crazy calypso) bonus theme (as well as bonus win/lose), the brothers bear theme and the wrinkly cave themes.
I do have a soft spot for 3's soundtrack, though it's way more about atmosphere and ambience, and is harder to listen to without the context of its setting. Also, Fisher is responsible for some of the first game's best tracks (ice cave, forest, tree tops, the map theme). As for the original point, there does seem to be a bias against the DKCs because they're a) "silly monkey games" instead of epic fantasies and b) not Japanese (things like Mario and Sonic are similarly silly, but their music seems more widely known among gamers at large.
It makes me sad and I feel nostalgia because I didn't grow up playing this kind of awesome video games. I come from a poor Central American country where there was nothing like this in the village I grew up. I didn't even know that there were such a machines like Gameboy Advanced, PS's, GameCube .. and so on. You see, now I am 30 years old. I just started discovering a lot of amazing video games. Amazing people.
Did you know that the basslines in DKC3 were actually so deep that when Evelyn was converting the ost from the SNES to the GBA the speakers of the development GBA she was holding spontaneously combusted. After that, David Wise had to step in & recompose the entire soundtrack from scratch.
The DK music is something I only really started appreciating the last year or 2. The depth of the music is surprising considering it's SNES and like you said it just sparks something on an emotional level.
now put that into context of the early-90's when nothing looked or sounded like this. I still remember the moment. I literally felt like crying from being overwhelmed. As cool as video games are now, i miss the days where you would be blown away by something new every two years.
Old school music especially Nintendo, Rare and Capcom takes me back to my childhood memories. Donkey Kong Country 1,2 ,64 and overall water types of themes such as jolly rogers bay in SM64, Banjo Tooies atlantis or Metroid Prime 1 crashed space pirate frigate and so on.
The work of David Wise is timeless, brilliant, and wonderful, the steady bounce, the rhythm, the feel, as well as these incredibly calming and soft pieces. Eveline did good work but she couldn't quite get the same bounce and layering. I don't know if I'd call DKC the straight best video game music of all time, there's just so much good out there and timeless, from Zelda's wonderfully enjoyable thematic songs to Halo's iconic chorus to the absolute master piece of the DKC trilogy, but it is at the very least one of the absolute greatest works. I own a number of CDs, spent more than I'd be willing to admit on collecting original physical media. I regularly sleep to a combination of calming tracks from Mario Galaxy, DKC Trilogy + Returns & Tropical Freeze, and Zelda music. DKC 2 definitely holds a top billing in the best soundtracks ever created regardless. Jib Jig is definitely underappreciated, it's a top favorite beneath Forest Interlude and Stickerbush Symphony with the flapping of the flags, ah it's such a clever and well-done blend of atmosphere sounds into music. Video games are such wonderful art forms that have so much to give. I wasn't aware of the David Wise DKC 3 port music. I'll absolutely listen to that.
I had never listened to forest interlude until the bit you started talking about it. Im listening to it right now in another tab and its absolutely beautiful...
Having played all of the DKC trilogy as a kid, hearing these tracks as an adult takes me back every time. I agree that these are the best video game OSTs, but I would say these songs stand among the best in any genre.
I'm with ya. All the three games got amazing pieces, but overall, DKC2 and DKC3 felt lacking in comparison with DKC one to me. Although I do agree with all the favorite songs the author of this video shared with us, none of them was able to touch me as Aquatic Ambience still does to me to this very day. When I need to escape from hard times in life, Aquatic Ambiencr is there with me.
Got emotional several times while watching this, as the dkc2 soundtrack also has had a huge impact in my life and is one of the reasons i became interested in music. Thank you for making this video when you really didn't need to, all art is kinda like this in a way, not pratically useful or with a clear reason to exist, but it still manages to affect people in positive ways and move them. I love monkeys
It's awesome seeing more video game music critique on RUclips and this was a really cool look at this series' musical footprint, along with your personal reflections on the sounds. Really eager to see more content from you. Excellent work!
i've never wrote an comment on youtube ever, but this video inspired me... DKC OST is literally my childhood track, everytime my life isn't that great with studying, work or social things. I'm going to listen to this beautiful soundtrack. It makes my brain stop thinking for a moment, remember how good and easy was life back then. But it also gives me an inspiring to get further in life, make something out of it. Giving my best weather i'm failing or not. Thank you for this video, it was lovely to watch and i'm glad that i found it.
For me, the musics of DKC2 were like achievements. The more levels I finished, the better the music become. It felt like that was the drive. For the Wii/wiiu games, tropical freeze felt strangely familiar. Now I know why!
Am I the only one whose most favorite song from Donkey Kong Country 2 is Forest Interlude? I swear I always hear people say that Stickerbush Symphony is their most favorite, while I'm sitting alone in love with the soothing and intimate feel that Forest Interlude brings with it's melody. While I also adore Stickerbush Symphony, I am always in a trance when I hear Forest Interlude sending chills down my spin when I first hear the beginning of this song. I say to everyone, give it a good listen again, maybe you can hear the magic in this piece that you couldn't hear before.❤
I was really into game music when I was a kid and I still am…I used to sit on the floor, about 6-7 years old and just play this game year after year with or without friends, until I knew almost every single stages secrets. I still play them from time to time! I’m not a composer or music creator but I know how to play the violin and I randomly get music ideas in my mind. I just don’t have the time to get into music sadly… I still have a casette tape where I recorded my favorite Donkey Kong Country tracks. Can’t help but to tear up a little when I listen to the soundtracks of these masterpieces.
I learned most of what I know about music theory from video game composers like David Wise as well as played chinese cowhide drums and bass and rhythm guitar. Never had formal training myself.
David Wise is an underrated genius. Have to say I really did vibe DKC3 OST. The overworld map theme was amazing and the whole score just had an ephemeral haunting distance to it, like it was a farewell to the series. Agree that DKC2 has the best of the three though. Would love to see you do a video on Grant Kirkhope. Banjo Kazooie has some of the best music in any game. Click Clock Woods' 4 seasonal variations was a genius move. And Freezezy Peak?! His work on Diddy Kong Racing was outstanding too.
Stickerbrush symphony inevitably either gives you goosebumps or makes you drop a tear out of joy and melancholy as it teleports you back to a regular afternoon/evening after school playing DKC2 free of adult responsibilities; pure bliss.
This chapter in chiptune/electronic music was also catalysed by the 90s and upcoming musical styles like trance and ambient. With the center being UK/Netherlands/Belgium/Germany. This all coincided and served as inspiration to become this musical peak which carried over in gaming.. my favorite decade for sure!
I have a similar experience with the soundtrack of Pokémon and Mother, i was never interested in music beyond listening to one or two recommended songs, but, since I am a fan of both sagas, my interest in music has changed a lot, i am thinking of learning to play an instrument in specific by the way, had i mentioned how good are you editing your vídeos?, it's amazing
Despite disagreeing with you on donkey Kong country returns, (I think that ost was just as good if not better than the originals) I am really glad someone has covered this series. I am definitely someone who looks out for music in games I play, and I had a blast with all of these games both in gameplay and listening to the music. (Though I have not played donkey kong country 3)
As nostalgic as it is, I’ve always found Donkey Kong Country’s music and graphics oddly terrifying. I actually couldn’t complete the game because of this as a kid (Especially the GBA version). I do think that this game has an odd significance in my life though. I’ve always remembered this game more than other similar games and when I was a kid. And also me and my sister found a rock that looked like the Rare logo on a trail, and our parents wouldn’t let us keep it. So we put it in the grass and would check on it every now and then every time we went there. I’m pretty sure that one day we are both going back there and finding that rock. Even if we are half the country away right now.
Think I'll add my own praise for this video and the themes it its (heh) on an emotional level. I grew up with the GBA versions until I was able to play the SNES versions on the Wii Virtual Console, but both of them have their own unique qualities that help stand out against the limitations of their respective hardware. I've seen plenty of videos on the topic of DKC's music and I'm sure this won't be the last one of it's type I watch too. On the topic of music that hits me in my heart, I'm going to recommend "Alice 3" from Monster Girl Quest of all things. Despite it's super lewd and hardcore h-plot, it's basically Undertale before Undertale so far as touching on discrimination and coexistence between other species goes. And Alice 3 is a magical song that brings me to tears sometimes not only cause of the song itself, but also the context that it plays in depending on your actions at the end of Part 2. I highly request you give it a listen!
Thank you for making this video. The DKC trilogy is by far some of my favorite music of all time, not just VGM. The best way I can put it what made this so special to me as a kid was imagining DKC like a jungle gym. I used to love going to different parks and climbing on the different playground equipment and imagining myself playing DKC. Every time I hear this music, it takes me back to being a kid and climbing around having fun and getting up early on the weekend to play video games.
Mitsuda and Uematsu are the most prolific VG OST composers of all time in my opinion. Chrono Trigger, Cross (especially Star-crossed Girl) and all the FF OSTs I've gotten to listen to are so great and amazing.
I'm glad you also mentioned rock face rumble and water world. Those tracks are criminally underrated when talking about DKC songs. If Fisher was responsible for those she was as much a musical genius as Wise. Water World in particular gives me goosebumps. There were a couple of songs i didn't care for in DKC3. The first world is kinda weak music wise, but the boss battle music is great. But once you get to world 2 to the tree level, thats when it kicks off proper. Then world 3 peaks with Water World and Rock Face Rumble as you said. But the factory song and water pipe song are also fairly good. I also really like the cliff face level song.
FWIW, on DKC3 GBA, David Wise mostly used pre-recorded loops and samples. He composed some of the main melodies throughout, but most every track has a single drum loop from a 90's sampler CD, and certain instruments and licks were cut up and molded to fit the piece. The harmonica in Rockface Rumble and Brothers Bear are the same sampled loop; same with the guitar with the wah in Nuts & Bolts and Big Boss Boogie. In fact, that harmonica was lifted from a documentary about wolves (at about 13:25): ruclips.net/video/W4TEEYnc0yg/видео.html&ab_channel=WildLifeChannel Listening back to the whole soundtrack in full, you can hear just how many samples and riffs are reused (in particular the credits music). I don't mean to speak ill of Wise; I know he worked under a very tight deadline to produce a whole game soundtrack that would translate onto speakers without a low end, and he did what he had to do in order to make it happen. The guy is resourceful and adaptable. I think all composers need to be. Wise moreso arranged the soundtrack to DCK3 GBA-not so much composed it.
Wow, thanks for the comment! This offers a lot of insight behind the composition of the game. Maybe Wise didn't spend as much time with it because it was a GBA game? From what I understand he was kind of asked for a quick turnaround on the OST. I learned something new today!
@@PressStartToContinueYT The DKC series' music changed my life too, so I felt compelled to share this information with someone like-minded since I only recently found out myself. I'm currently in the process of recreating the GBA OST with modern instruments on my other channel, inspired by the recent "soundtrack restoration" project by Sam Miller and a different fella that seems to have ceased production on his undertaking of this same thing I'm doing. So in my research travels, I came across this thread that linked me to that wolf documentary, and then everything made sense to me about just how different that soundtrack was to the other games (which relied more on Korg Wavestation synth and percussion patches than sampled loops or real instrument recordings). It's been a fun project so far, and it's no doubt why RUclips suggested I check out this video =]
I wish he'd recreate those pieces with an unrestricted recording set-up. He composed some good stuff and he had some good ideas - it was just held back by the various limitations. To some extent I don't even mind the sample-heavy arrangements much, but the sound quality just butchers them no matter how you cut it. I would've preferred if that Aquatic Ambience rendition he made for Tropical Freeze was a remade GBA Water World instead.
When I got started at a recycling plant job in the 90's, I'd have to wake up at like 4:30am.. Many times, I'd leave the SNES on with DK floating while Aquatic Ambience got me started.
just found my old Super Nintendo with all three games, my heart melt in nostalgic. I played when I was 6 years old. I’m 26 now and back to play almost every day. just me head phone and these games. Never felt happier to keep going and going.
@@PressStartToContinueYT shrooms. It's the only way that music can affect me they way you talk about in this video. Other wise it's background static. I can appreciate it, but It doesn't "change" anything for me.
Excellent retrospective. I loved that GameXPlain documentary series! I hope they make new ones for DKC2 and 3. I'm glad you highlighted Evelyn's work. I know it is more atmospheric and lower on tone, but I do feel like she makes the music fit in the level it's in. Northern Kremisphere is a solid example of it. I don't think that level could've been Wise-level emotional. It was meant to feel barren, lonely, dangerous. I liked DKC3's OST and I also understand the criticisms of it. I think the music does fit the levels well, it's just a very relaxed game when compared to the others is all. Also Nuts n Bolts is kick ass. I'm glad you also highlighted the DKC2 fanfare. I have never heard a logo fanfare that made me SO excited and pumped to start playing like it. Sends me shivers each time, excites me. Lastly, I agree with the commenter who mentioned how technical limitations lead to incredible music. This is one of those things many SNES OSTs hold so strongly above other generations of consoles' VGM (a great example is the Follins brothers' work on SNES games like Plok and Spiderman and Xmen in Arcade's Revenge). In some ways, as excellent as DKC:TF's OST is, it's too well composed, too polished, hi-fi. In doing so, it loses a bit of the digital gamey feel the SNES OSTs had. It's more orchestral vs being sample based. Still excellent and fits the new generation of the DKC franchise well. I'll just always miss the 16-bit sound.
DKC 1 & 2 have a special place in my heart. Specially DKC 2. Is my favorite game of all time. The SNES belonged to my brother but I played it way more. And thanks to this games, I fell in love with videogames and made me today a gamer. Hearing all the songs, reminds me of beautiful childhood memories with my mom. And it was the last game, me and my mom played together in my Wii U(virtual console). She passed away a few months later from lung cancer. They are a masterpiece.
I've watched old shows as a kid and I never stopped loving them. But when I first look into Donkey Kong Country and its game music, it nearly changed my life. I hope I can take the path of this type of nostalgia for the rest of my life just to see if I find a new purpose in life.
Great video! But I have to say it's borderline criminal how you underrated DKC 3. There are many tracks that hit different. I always felt that DKC 3's music is a tad bit darker and even more melancholic. This can be seen with the atmospheric track "Nuts N' Bolts" and the dark, mysterious "Treetop Trumble" and the hectic "Hot Pursuit". Also both "Boss Boogey" and especially "Baron K. Roolenstein" are incredible. The latter is the best Boss Theme in the series in my opinion. It's so atmospheric that it fits perfectely for the last fight. Then we even have some great, more ambient tracks like "Cavern Caprice" and "Cascade Capers" (also "Waterworld" and "Rockface Rumble" but you mentioned those). DKC3 clearly can't beat DKC2 in term of music and gameplay, but it's way ahead of the first entry in my opinion.
Forest Frenzy is my favorite. I wake up to it every day. The echoing strings and marimbas make you feel like you’re out among the trees, and the snappy percussion is just what a monkey needs to get moving.
Corridors of Time from Chrono Trigger, Fisherman's Horizon from Final Fantasy VIII, and Stickerbrush Symphony from Donkey Kong Country 2 is music for true soul searching.
I used to take a cassette recorder to my TV and pause the levels on DKC2 and record the music when I was a kid. There is absolutely nothing in the world like the music in DKC & DKC2. I always get tears in my eyes when Stickerbrush Symphony is playing.
Donkey Kong Country is my earliest memory of video game music that has left an emotional impact on me. Of course i played alot of Mario World, All Stars, Sonic 2, and other games back then, but Donkey Country and its sequels are the first games where the music was so good i found myself pausing my snes just to listen to certain songs on loop and purposely going through levels for the music. Later games for the ps1 like the Spyro the Dragon Trilogy and Frogger: He's Back will give me similar feelings due to how much atmosphere, melodies, and interesting sounds the soundtrack goes through. The ps1 in general had so many ganes that made me appreciate the work that goes into video soundtracks.
The music takes me back to when i was 7 . Life was great back then So much nostalgia. Wish i cud go back to the 90’s what a Magical era to grow up in . Memories I’ll never forget
During the summers when I was a kid, I'd print off sheet music from various Zelda games and power through it until I could play with both hands. I couldn't read the music. I never had lessons. I knew nothing about theory. And yet I learned at least a dozen songs. These days, I love learning about theory and playing bass guitar and piano. Any time I get frustrated, I just let those old OSTs wash over me and I remember the magic of music. And I can still bust out the Song of Storms any time.
This is one of my favourite OSTs of all time. It's the most atmospheric OST i've ever heard. David Wise is a genius. Aaaand... DKC 3 is my favourite. I know, It's the less beloved, but it's the first that I played. So, one of the best games of my life.
I literally thought I was the only one who felt this way. 🥲. DK Country series were my favorite as a kid. Now as an Adult with all the stresses of life. Hearing DK music 🎶 not only brings me back but has helped get through a rough time in my life. Thank you for acknowledging what I hear as well 🎶
That one-two punch of Seashore War and the Stickerbush Symphony arrangement hit me straight in the heart. Two of the most emotional songs in video game history, up there with Undertale 071, Fi's Farewell from Skyward Sword, and Sad Girl from Mario Galaxy for me.
Him and Nobuo Uematsu are remarkable musicians. DKC music was purely hypnotic. As a very shy 90's kid I had no idea anybody else even played or really liked this game, so all this time later its wild to know how many others loved the games as much as me. I still hold them dear to me. I'd frequently play "Donkey Konk" as my Dad affectionately called it, with him. The colors, sounds, interaction, even the enemy sounds and names were memorable. Lots of care went into those games and its stunning even now. ♡
One thing I loved about the soundtrack for DKC2 was how there was different death themes composed to match up to the main stage’s music. Attention to detail.
This looks like it'll be a great watch. These games are excellent by themselves but the music just really adds to the experience, there isn't a single bad song in the classic trilogy or when Retro took the wheel in the 2010s. I like that you mention the music has an emotional touch; for me, In A Snowbound Land from Donkey Kong Country 2 is probably the tune that gives me the most feelings. Really hope you mention Cave Dweller Concert in this video, I love how that track conveys so many feelings at once. It starts out as just cave ambience, then gets a bit of a foreboding but curious vibe, then has parts that give you the feeling of "I really shouldn't be in here", and my absolute favorite part is at the end where it turns into a beautiful symphony for all but a few seconds until it goes back to ambience. This tune is so underappreciated despite being one of the longest tracks out of all the Donkey Kong Country series, going on for a whopping 2 minutes and 50 seconds before repeating.
Yeah I really relate to this video. Even though I went almost 10 years without DKC 1 and 2 at some point, but I could still remember Fear factory, aquatic ambience, Stickerbush, and the ice theme from DKC2 The music stuck around and manages to always bring me back to those days.
What I love about the series' music so much is that it contrasts what the mind expects from a certain setting. Take Scorch n' Torch, a very demonic looking level with fire spewing everywhere. You would expect it to sound very calamitic and chaotic. Instead, it sounds sad. Not scary sad, but a rather looming feeling of grief. It's like the notes are wailing in pain. But at some points the music gets a bit bouncy, like it's telling you "hey, I know this land is all ruined; but it's okay" Or Stickerbrush Symphony. When I played it, I thought the music would be all jumpy and springy like the bramble vines. But what I heard was so much better. The song focuses less on the presence of the brambles and more on the background of an empty sky; an infinite oasis of blue. In any other context it would seem unsettling, but here it sparks a feeling of melancholy and wonder. Played Returns with my friend alot. He has since moved to the other end of the country. I cherish those moments with him fondly.
Stickerbush Symphony is my favorite song of all time, not game song no all time. I was 8 years old in 1995 and now at 34 writing this I can remember with perfect clarity the first time I heard Stickerbush. I put the controller down and just sat there staring at the screen trying to process the new wave of emotion that came over me. I remember in that moment thinking to myself “I’m going to play video games for the rest of my life” and wanting this song to follow me wherever I went. That’s just my story with one song, much less the rest of the series music. I used to think I was crazy and that “games had truly rotted my brain” when I was around 12 but thanks to this internet thing I see things like this and realize I simply experienced greatness. Thank you so much for this video.
Christmas 94’, I was 14 years old and Donkey kong country was highest on my wishlist. I will never forget that night playing this amazing game and that water level music, omg.. this game was a truly masterpiece. What a happy christmas:-)
I don’t think words can describe how much the DKC franchise means to me. David Wise is a legend. I doubt he even knows the influence his music has had on an entire generation. DKC2 ost was the GOAT, but then he came back and did tropical freeze… and that game and soundtrack completely blew my mind. If I had one wish from Nintendo, it’d be to make another DKC game with David Wise composing.
It's 20 or 25 years later and I'm STILL listening to mining melancholy and disco train and the like. It really was something special, and then the algorithm sent me here. This vid was a great love letter to a very talented musciian and his work. I love it.
The video game OST that has had this kind of impact on me is the original Spyro The Dragon trilogy on PS1, composed by former drummer of The Police, Stewart Copeland. He created pieces of music that utilized very unique samples and soundfonts that created a distinct sound that still can't quite be mimicked today. When you hear a Spyro track, you know that it's Spyro music. Copeland managed to create music that both matched the dreamlike fantastical worlds with atmospheric instrumentation while also using rock and electronic music elements to give it some sense of groove. Spyro 3's soundtrack is the crowning achievement on that, in my opinion. Anyone who's a classic Spyro fan sings Stewart Copeland's praises, but I really feel like most people don't give these soundtracks enough credit because they're honestly right up there with DKC and Sonic for being top-tier video game music.
Stewart Copeland is such an underrated drummer, and just an underrated musician in general. He also composed the theme song for a Star Wars series called Droids, was either the drummer or percussionist (i can’t remember) on the Peter Gabriel track Big Time, and, speaking of members of Genesis, was the drummer on Mike Rutherford’s solo album Acting Very Strange
What always stuck out to me besides the music were the levels and the fact the time of day or weather conditions would change during the level and this change continued into the next one. The snowy mountains in dkc were extremely memorable to me not just because of their difficulty but the way the weather progressed across stages--taking a reprieve from the raging blizzard outside yet it still made sense to go through the ice caverns as a route you'd be force to take given the conditions outside. It was also due it's music and how long it takes to get across the mountains, 4 stages in fact, 3 outside one inside, that I still vividly remember it to this day. But the music conveyed the sense of danger; the slippery slopes, slippery fast enemies, pitfalls, and limited visibility as it begins to snow hard really sell it.
The discovery of the ability to spam down on the menu screen to access the game's OST was basically the best moment in my childhood gaming memory. We played DKC2 ost aaaaall the time.
You and I are the same, my friend. Your passion for the the DKC ost and the DKC 2 ost - it’s like you’re reading out of my diary. They very much inspired me to start writing music. Them and OOT.
Forest interlude got stucked in my head since the first time I've heard it. I was a seven years old kid who had DKC and just get the chance to rent DCK2... at first it was a plain experience with the Pirates and Ship themes... I have to admit I've enjoyed the fire/lava levels with that catchi tune... but everything in my life changed when we got to forest level... as Forest interlude started, my brain went out of this world and suddenly my room was surrounded by trees and birds... it was... a Magical experience. TY I LOVED YOUR VIDEO.
It's always so awesome to hear other people talk about their love and connection to the marvelous music of this series. DKC Music is one-of-a-kind and means the world to me
I have to comment on this video, because I’ve never heard anyone talk about VGM with such passion. Growing up, my brothers and I had a SNES and only six games, and DKC2 was one of them. We played this game over and over and over again. It must be my most played game. The game is great, but what sticks with you is the music. All the titles are perfect. I love Stickerbrush Symphony, Flight of the Zinger, and Forest Interlude. Nothing brings back childhood memories quite like this OST. My brothers favorite was always Stickerbrush, and he’d play the levels just to listen to the song. He passed away a few years ago, and I always visit this OST to remember him. Thanks for putting this together!
Where i live, rain is pretty rare, so when i was a kid i loved the jib jig soundtrack, now as an adult everytime it rains, i just play the song and watch the rain fall down through my window, DKC2 ost marked my life
I was probably 3 years old when I played DKC2 and Stickerbrush Symphony is the reason I have memories from that age. Back then my consciousness was still barely formed so my perception was a mixture of what was real and what were still dreams, so the emotion evoked from listening to this song while playing was nothing short of heavenly. I won't be able to feel that with the same intensity ever again but listening to it nowadays brings back the essence of what I felt back then. None of the other tracks in the franchise achieved this for some reason (not even Aquatic Ambience). I guess this piece of music has some unique quality to it.
I must confess: I bought recently a Switch because I was obsessed by the OST of DK Country. Have never owned a Nintendo console before, but was absolutely amazed by that soundtrack.
Thanks for checking out the video today! This was a labor of love, as the Donkey Kong Country series means the world to me. What memories do you have of DKC's music? Let me know in the comments below!
Thank you for making this video! I'm a minute in and I love it!
@@plusah1268 thanks for watching!
Memories of excitement and relief when coming back home after school and finally escaping from reality. Nowadays, I often listen to the original soundtracks while working. It truly does some good to the soul. And it’s one of the only soundtracks to which I can listen day after day after day without ever getting tired or finding it repetitive.
literally all of the memories
Im right there with you in that these games were life changing... and still provide some comfort when life gets rough. You also nailed it with the stand-out tracks. You should check out 'Untamed Heart' in Klonoa. This is an awesomely David Wise'y track.
I'm telling my children that this is country music.
well, I mean it kind of is
Good! They'll be better people for it! 😂
Well you technically aren’t wrong
hahaha
XD
I've only played the games a handful of times, but have listened to the soundtracks thousands of times. This music sticks with you.
Donkey Kong music is so iconic. Going back and listening to the tracks now takes me back
Absolutely!
I did not expect you to be here. But of course your into other things besides Hollow Knight.
This is one of those cases of technical limitation leading to the creation of something very special. There's just nothing quite like the DKC SNES soundtracks.
I LOVE IT!
Fax
That's how I feel about Final Fantasy VII's music, it has more life and depth in 32-bit than it does in orchestra.
To be fair, Tropical Freeze's soundtrack is gorgeous as well.
DKC 2 is my favorite video game soundtrack.
As soon as you mentioned having two favorite tracks in DKC 2, my first thought was, "Is it Stickerbrush Symphony and Forest Interlude?" It's really cool to see someone appreciate Forest Interlude as much as I do. That frothy synth and the rising background hum creates a vibe like no other. I think the soundtrack in DKC 2 is really a testament to how well a good soundtrack can complement a game and make it even more enjoyable than just its core gameplay.
totally agree!
I thought the other would be crocodile cacophony.
Forest Interlude really should be the most lauded DKC2 track instead of Stickerbush Symphony. The synth really pushes the console to its limits.
I love Mining Melancholy too
For me it was Stickerbrush Synphony, Red Hot Bop, and Mining Melochany. The atmosphere, the humming tune, and way the song reverates when playing the cave levels was like nothing i had ever heard of as a kid. Its another level i used to pause, just so the song will play on loop. Forest Interlude was also an awesome track that i mostly associate with incredibly hard levels though lol
david wise is a genius, thanks for spreading the love for a great composer
Totally agree!
This is one of the most beautiful games ever made under every single aspect.
I remember as a kid, pausing the game before finishing levels because I didn't want the track to end. You nailed the way this music in particular made/makes me feel. Awesome video!
thanks so much for watching!
Same! I’d pause and just listen to Aquatic Ambience loop.
When the title says that the music changed your life - I literally resonate with that on so many levels.
I have always loved the music and now I'm learning to compose music
that's so cool!
@@PressStartToContinueYT haha thank you! ❤
This game holds a special place in my heart. I used to play it with my aunt as a child, she loved the Aquatic Ambience music. We recorded it from the tv onto tape and then later in life I burned it on disc for her.
When she died, that game and song take me back to beloved memories. Brilliant, really.
Wow, I 'm sorry for your loss. Hopefully the music helps to bring back some happy memories of her for you!
Amazing man
Sometimes, I'll turn on aquatic ambience and listen as I go to sleep and whenever I play the emulator and playing donkey kong, I'll just go to the water stage and stop progressing. Just swimming in the water listening to aquatic ambience. Your aunt had really good taste in music. Sorry for your loss.
sorry for your loss dude. That’s beyond tough.
Growing up with the SNES in the 90's was maybe one of the greatest times to be alive as a kid in the entire history of human kind. The feelings and memories these soundtracks evoke in me are truly priceless.
So true! Especially when N64 launched!
I literally pumped my fist and audibly shouted "YES" when you said Forest Interlude is your favourite from DKC2, that might legitimately be my favourite VGM of all time too, it's technically impressive in it's layering, super emotional while also heavily ambient, it has basically all of David's strengths rolled up into one so well.
You nearly brought me to tears while revisiting the music of DKC. *Especially* DKC2. I was only in kindergarten and going into first grade when I was playing it, Yoshi's Island and a handful of other games on the SNES back in the early to mid 90's. I became entranced with the music of these games, but especially DKC2's. I loved just about every track, but Mining Melancholy hit me harder than any other. And only when I got a year or two older and finally managed to reach Bramble Blast did Stickerbush Symphony become one of my all time favorites as well. Maybe it's because I was playing the level or thinking of the game around the time, but I always, ALWAYS get flooded with pleasant memories of mid to late Autumn, especially late October and all of November (which it is now as I write this; go figure.) Being that young and excited to play in leaves with my family, prepare for Halloween with getting pumpkins, decorating the house, and eagerly anticipating trick-or-treating, and awaiting the joy of Christmas all November long. Without this getting longer than it is, Stickerbush Symphony makes me 5 years old again and fills me with warm Autumn childhood feelings. And somehow, without me fully understanding why, it also evokes fondness for my grandparents. I miss them all so very much, even now that I'm in my 30's. May they all rest in peace.
Thank you for this wonderful video about an amazing collection of games and their sublime music. You're truly spot on about the incredible power of music that many of us, myself included, take for granted all too often. David Wise, among many others I admire (Koji Kondo, Junichi Masuda, Stewart Copeland, Grant Kirkhope, etc.) have blessed us with an amazing experience that is simply irreplaceable and cannot be easily replicated. Thank you to all who are involved with these incredible games we love, and for the music that moves our souls.
Wow, this comment really hit me. I have so much nostalgia for this series it hurts. I owe a great deal to some of the best video game composers over the years :)
Very well said my friend
Thank you for sharing this memory friend. Extremely relatable to the point of tugging a string in my heart. Awesome video and wholesome feelings all-around ❤️
Late to the party but everything you said was extremely relatable to me! That sense of wonder and autumnal anticipation.
@@Cranster18 It's all good; I'm usually late to show up to things too, so I can relate. Speaking of relatable, that sense of wonder you brought up is another fond memory I have of playing DKC2. One vivid memory I have is visiting Klubba's Kiosk and being mesmerized by the ominous forest behind him. The dead trees, the crevasse separating them from the kiosk, and that ominous bright green glow (maybe it was mist? I still don't know after all this time.) For a little toddler like me, that sight just did something to me that's hard to explain. Best words I can use are your own; a "sense of wonder." Just curious why the forest is covered in green mist, and how spooky and dangerous it looked. A part of me wanted to go on an adventure in there and the other part of me thought it was too creepy to step into. Those woods behind the kiosk will forever live rent free in my mind till the day I die. And it's just so cool that a game like this left me with such wonder and awe that I can think back on as an adult today.
Honestly shed a tear watching, can’t even believe you literally mentioned all the greats and ended with my favorite. Forest interlude was my ring tone for years, and I love playing it while I drive. Such a well done video!
I always cite Donkey Kong Country, particularly David Wise, for introducing me to my love of atmospheric music. Not only do these compositions encapsulate incredibly memorable melodies, but they also evoke such depth in conveying atmosphere; they really breathe life into areas of the game. If you had someone listen to the tracks and ask them to guess where each might take place, I don't think there would be a single track that would be guessed incorrectly. They truly are THAT good at setting the mood and complementing the area. And even with all my praise, we all know this is just scratching the surface.
As someone who's been looking to get back into her studies of music theory, I cannot thank you enough for this wonderful video. I'll be coming back to view it again and again, that's for certain!!
Thanks for the kind words, this was certainly a love letter to the series so I'm glad you appreciate it too!
Forest Interlude is my favorite song of all gaming and I am so happy to not be alone in feeling this! Hits me right in the heart every time from when I was a teen to even now as an adult. Great video! Oh and subscribed! :)
thank you!
I have to thank Taia777 for introducing me to stickerbush symphony. His hour-long video appeared in my RUclips feed back in 2017 I think. First, I didn't know it was from a DK game, even though I've always been a Nintendo nerd, I thought it was a song composed by this random person online, the title was in Japanese too, so I couldn't know what was it's meaning. Some years later, when I found out it was a theme from DKC2, I searched up the song and I fell in love with every single track of it.
Thank you, David Wise, thank you Rare and thank you Taia777!
It's odd that, when the top 16-bit soundtracks are named, the DKC series isn't instantly named the #1 example. Even among the Final Fantasies, Chronotriggers, and Streets of Rages, there's nothing quite as rich, bold, soothing, and (most importantly) eclectic as Rare's trilogy of masterpieces (especially the first two).
The music in the third one was so awful by comparison. I can’t remember but I’m almost certain David Wise was not involved
@@usaskjock Good news, the video covers that! Evelyn Fischer was put in charge of the soundtrack for that game, but Wise composed the GBA version.
I agree. Chrono trigger has really awesome melodies, but I don't find myself listening to any of chrono triggers music as often as I listen to aquatic ambience.
@@usaskjock David wise was involved in the third one, he just had a minor role. He composed the save file theme (crazy calypso) bonus theme (as well as bonus win/lose), the brothers bear theme and the wrinkly cave themes.
I do have a soft spot for 3's soundtrack, though it's way more about atmosphere and ambience, and is harder to listen to without the context of its setting. Also, Fisher is responsible for some of the first game's best tracks (ice cave, forest, tree tops, the map theme).
As for the original point, there does seem to be a bias against the DKCs because they're a) "silly monkey games" instead of epic fantasies and b) not Japanese (things like Mario and Sonic are similarly silly, but their music seems more widely known among gamers at large.
It makes me sad and I feel nostalgia because I didn't grow up playing this kind of awesome video games.
I come from a poor Central American country where there was nothing like this in the village I grew up.
I didn't even know that there were such a machines like Gameboy Advanced, PS's, GameCube .. and so on.
You see, now I am 30 years old. I just started discovering a lot of amazing video games.
Amazing people.
Did you know that the basslines in DKC3 were actually so deep that when Evelyn was converting the ost from the SNES to the GBA the speakers of the development GBA she was holding spontaneously combusted. After that, David Wise had to step in & recompose the entire soundtrack from scratch.
that's cool!
Ironically some of the gba tracks turned out better. Stilt village on gba is one of my absolute favourites
Oh, so that's why some of the GBA versions are different from the SNES counterparts. That makes sense.
@@Lonelywookiee Does it?
Holy shit really? That is awesome.
The DK music is something I only really started appreciating the last year or 2. The depth of the music is surprising considering it's SNES and like you said it just sparks something on an emotional level.
yeah it's hard to explain, it just hits so different
now put that into context of the early-90's when nothing looked or sounded like this. I still remember the moment. I literally felt like crying from being overwhelmed. As cool as video games are now, i miss the days where you would be blown away by something new every two years.
This soundtrack still blows me away. It is a very aspirational piece of work.
DK will always have a place in my heart because of its music, thanks for this amazing video!
thanks so much for watching!
Old school music especially Nintendo, Rare and Capcom takes me back to my childhood memories. Donkey Kong Country 1,2 ,64 and overall water types of themes such as jolly rogers bay in SM64, Banjo Tooies atlantis or Metroid Prime 1 crashed space pirate frigate and so on.
The work of David Wise is timeless, brilliant, and wonderful, the steady bounce, the rhythm, the feel, as well as these incredibly calming and soft pieces. Eveline did good work but she couldn't quite get the same bounce and layering. I don't know if I'd call DKC the straight best video game music of all time, there's just so much good out there and timeless, from Zelda's wonderfully enjoyable thematic songs to Halo's iconic chorus to the absolute master piece of the DKC trilogy, but it is at the very least one of the absolute greatest works. I own a number of CDs, spent more than I'd be willing to admit on collecting original physical media. I regularly sleep to a combination of calming tracks from Mario Galaxy, DKC Trilogy + Returns & Tropical Freeze, and Zelda music. DKC 2 definitely holds a top billing in the best soundtracks ever created regardless.
Jib Jig is definitely underappreciated, it's a top favorite beneath Forest Interlude and Stickerbush Symphony with the flapping of the flags, ah it's such a clever and well-done blend of atmosphere sounds into music.
Video games are such wonderful art forms that have so much to give.
I wasn't aware of the David Wise DKC 3 port music. I'll absolutely listen to that.
Jib Jig is my favorite!
Don't you forget Undertale and Deltarune!
I love snakey chantey as well, such a clever continuation of the Gangplank Galleon theme as you start out on a ship too
I had never listened to forest interlude until the bit you started talking about it. Im listening to it right now in another tab and its absolutely beautiful...
gotta love it!
Having played all of the DKC trilogy as a kid, hearing these tracks as an adult takes me back every time. I agree that these are the best video game OSTs, but I would say these songs stand among the best in any genre.
I prefer the DKC 1 soundtrack over 2, but they’re both timeless and incredible
I'm with ya. All the three games got amazing pieces, but overall, DKC2 and DKC3 felt lacking in comparison with DKC one to me. Although I do agree with all the favorite songs the author of this video shared with us, none of them was able to touch me as Aquatic Ambience still does to me to this very day.
When I need to escape from hard times in life, Aquatic Ambiencr is there with me.
Got emotional several times while watching this, as the dkc2 soundtrack also has had a huge impact in my life and is one of the reasons i became interested in music. Thank you for making this video when you really didn't need to, all art is kinda like this in a way, not pratically useful or with a clear reason to exist, but it still manages to affect people in positive ways and move them. I love monkeys
It's awesome seeing more video game music critique on RUclips and this was a really cool look at this series' musical footprint, along with your personal reflections on the sounds. Really eager to see more content from you. Excellent work!
thanks so much for the kind words and share on twitter!
I listen to dkc soundtracks atleast 4 times per week. Glad to see other people loving it as much as I do.
i've never wrote an comment on youtube ever, but this video inspired me... DKC OST is literally my childhood track, everytime my life isn't that great with studying, work or social things. I'm going to listen to this beautiful soundtrack. It makes my brain stop thinking for a moment, remember how good and easy was life back then. But it also gives me an inspiring to get further in life, make something out of it. Giving my best weather i'm failing or not. Thank you for this video, it was lovely to watch and i'm glad that i found it.
For me, the musics of DKC2 were like achievements. The more levels I finished, the better the music become. It felt like that was the drive. For the Wii/wiiu games, tropical freeze felt strangely familiar. Now I know why!
Am I the only one whose most favorite song from Donkey Kong Country 2 is Forest Interlude? I swear I always hear people say that Stickerbush Symphony is their most favorite, while I'm sitting alone in love with the soothing and intimate feel that Forest Interlude brings with it's melody. While I also adore Stickerbush Symphony, I am always in a trance when I hear Forest Interlude sending chills down my spin when I first hear the beginning of this song. I say to everyone, give it a good listen again, maybe you can hear the magic in this piece that you couldn't hear before.❤
I was really into game music when I was a kid and I still am…I used to sit on the floor, about 6-7
years old and just play this game year after year with or without friends, until I knew almost every
single stages secrets. I still play them from time to time!
I’m not a composer or music creator but I know how to play the violin and I randomly get music
ideas in my mind. I just don’t have the time to get into music sadly…
I still have a casette tape where I recorded my favorite Donkey Kong Country tracks.
Can’t help but to tear up a little when I listen to the soundtracks of these masterpieces.
Stickerbush symphony, aquatic ambiance and dire dire docks are my childhood songs.
all great songs!
"It actually makes pretty great cleaning music"
Dances to Funky's Flights DKC2 (I think it's called Fonky the Main Monkey).
MONKE
I used to pause DKC2 and let the background music play while I did my homework.
The OSTs of Tropical Freeze and 2 are forever my favorites. TF might take the slight edge overall for me, it's sooo f**king good.
I learned most of what I know about music theory from video game composers like David Wise as well as played chinese cowhide drums and bass and rhythm guitar. Never had formal training myself.
David Wise is an underrated genius. Have to say I really did vibe DKC3 OST. The overworld map theme was amazing and the whole score just had an ephemeral haunting distance to it, like it was a farewell to the series. Agree that DKC2 has the best of the three though. Would love to see you do a video on Grant Kirkhope. Banjo Kazooie has some of the best music in any game. Click Clock Woods' 4 seasonal variations was a genius move. And Freezezy Peak?! His work on Diddy Kong Racing was outstanding too.
Grant has some great music! Perhaps some day I will venture off into those videos :)
Criminally underrated if you asked me
Stickerbrush symphony inevitably either gives you goosebumps or makes you drop a tear out of joy and melancholy as it teleports you back to a regular afternoon/evening after school playing DKC2 free of adult responsibilities; pure bliss.
absolutely!
David Wise & Grant Kirkhope are the greatest VGM composers of all time (along with Koji Kondo). Pure genius.
Absolutely agree, but I would add Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda in along with those 3
This chapter in chiptune/electronic music was also catalysed by the 90s and upcoming musical styles like trance and ambient. With the center being UK/Netherlands/Belgium/Germany. This all coincided and served as inspiration to become this musical peak which carried over in gaming.. my favorite decade for sure!
I have a similar experience with the soundtrack of Pokémon and Mother, i was never interested in music beyond listening to one or two recommended songs, but, since I am a fan of both sagas, my interest in music has changed a lot, i am thinking of learning to play an instrument in specific
by the way, had i mentioned how good are you editing your vídeos?, it's amazing
thank you so much for the kind words! And yes, Mother has that same effect on me :)
I can't tell you how long I spent just listening to the contest hall music from Pokémon RSE
Rockface Rumble just hits differently! Such a classic tune from DKC 3.
DKC has some of my favorite music, thank you for making this video about it. I haven’t finished the game, but I listen to the soundtrack a lot.
Thanks for watching!
Despite disagreeing with you on donkey Kong country returns, (I think that ost was just as good if not better than the originals) I am really glad someone has covered this series. I am definitely someone who looks out for music in games I play, and I had a blast with all of these games both in gameplay and listening to the music. (Though I have not played donkey kong country 3)
RUclips really recommended this to me minutes after upload even though I’m not subscribed :o
TAKE IT AS A SIGN 😅
Omg same baby
As nostalgic as it is, I’ve always found Donkey Kong Country’s music and graphics oddly terrifying. I actually couldn’t complete the game because of this as a kid (Especially the GBA version).
I do think that this game has an odd significance in my life though. I’ve always remembered this game more than other similar games and when I was a kid. And also me and my sister found a rock that looked like the Rare logo on a trail, and our parents wouldn’t let us keep it. So we put it in the grass and would check on it every now and then every time we went there. I’m pretty sure that one day we are both going back there and finding that rock. Even if we are half the country away right now.
Everytime i discuss videogame music with friends, I always debate on how David Wise's DKC2 soundtrack is the best in videogame history.
It is the best vg soundtrack ever. There has just never been anything before or since that has sounded quite like it.
DKC music and the Mother series music has a special place in my heart. The hardware limitations really brought out the best of these composers.
Think I'll add my own praise for this video and the themes it its (heh) on an emotional level. I grew up with the GBA versions until I was able to play the SNES versions on the Wii Virtual Console, but both of them have their own unique qualities that help stand out against the limitations of their respective hardware. I've seen plenty of videos on the topic of DKC's music and I'm sure this won't be the last one of it's type I watch too.
On the topic of music that hits me in my heart, I'm going to recommend "Alice 3" from Monster Girl Quest of all things. Despite it's super lewd and hardcore h-plot, it's basically Undertale before Undertale so far as touching on discrimination and coexistence between other species goes. And Alice 3 is a magical song that brings me to tears sometimes not only cause of the song itself, but also the context that it plays in depending on your actions at the end of Part 2. I highly request you give it a listen!
Interesting! I've never actually listened to it, perhaps I should change that now!
Thank you for making this video. The DKC trilogy is by far some of my favorite music of all time, not just VGM. The best way I can put it what made this so special to me as a kid was imagining DKC like a jungle gym. I used to love going to different parks and climbing on the different playground equipment and imagining myself playing DKC. Every time I hear this music, it takes me back to being a kid and climbing around having fun and getting up early on the weekend to play video games.
i wish i could go back to those days again, another ost that really hits me is chrono cross
such a good ost!
Mitsuda and Uematsu are the most prolific VG OST composers of all time in my opinion. Chrono Trigger, Cross (especially Star-crossed Girl) and all the FF OSTs I've gotten to listen to are so great and amazing.
I'm glad you also mentioned rock face rumble and water world. Those tracks are criminally underrated when talking about DKC songs. If Fisher was responsible for those she was as much a musical genius as Wise. Water World in particular gives me goosebumps.
There were a couple of songs i didn't care for in DKC3. The first world is kinda weak music wise, but the boss battle music is great. But once you get to world 2 to the tree level, thats when it kicks off proper. Then world 3 peaks with Water World and Rock Face Rumble as you said. But the factory song and water pipe song are also fairly good. I also really like the cliff face level song.
FWIW, on DKC3 GBA, David Wise mostly used pre-recorded loops and samples. He composed some of the main melodies throughout, but most every track has a single drum loop from a 90's sampler CD, and certain instruments and licks were cut up and molded to fit the piece. The harmonica in Rockface Rumble and Brothers Bear are the same sampled loop; same with the guitar with the wah in Nuts & Bolts and Big Boss Boogie. In fact, that harmonica was lifted from a documentary about wolves (at about 13:25): ruclips.net/video/W4TEEYnc0yg/видео.html&ab_channel=WildLifeChannel
Listening back to the whole soundtrack in full, you can hear just how many samples and riffs are reused (in particular the credits music). I don't mean to speak ill of Wise; I know he worked under a very tight deadline to produce a whole game soundtrack that would translate onto speakers without a low end, and he did what he had to do in order to make it happen. The guy is resourceful and adaptable. I think all composers need to be. Wise moreso arranged the soundtrack to DCK3 GBA-not so much composed it.
Wow, thanks for the comment! This offers a lot of insight behind the composition of the game. Maybe Wise didn't spend as much time with it because it was a GBA game? From what I understand he was kind of asked for a quick turnaround on the OST. I learned something new today!
@@PressStartToContinueYT The DKC series' music changed my life too, so I felt compelled to share this information with someone like-minded since I only recently found out myself. I'm currently in the process of recreating the GBA OST with modern instruments on my other channel, inspired by the recent "soundtrack restoration" project by Sam Miller and a different fella that seems to have ceased production on his undertaking of this same thing I'm doing. So in my research travels, I came across this thread that linked me to that wolf documentary, and then everything made sense to me about just how different that soundtrack was to the other games (which relied more on Korg Wavestation synth and percussion patches than sampled loops or real instrument recordings). It's been a fun project so far, and it's no doubt why RUclips suggested I check out this video =]
I wish he'd recreate those pieces with an unrestricted recording set-up. He composed some good stuff and he had some good ideas - it was just held back by the various limitations. To some extent I don't even mind the sample-heavy arrangements much, but the sound quality just butchers them no matter how you cut it.
I would've preferred if that Aquatic Ambience rendition he made for Tropical Freeze was a remade GBA Water World instead.
forest interlude is also my absolute favourite. Listened to it literally hundreds and hundreds of times, i still love it.
When I got started at a recycling plant job in the 90's, I'd have to wake up at like 4:30am.. Many times, I'd leave the SNES on with DK floating while Aquatic Ambience got me started.
it's a great one to start your day!
just found my old Super Nintendo with all three games, my heart melt in nostalgic. I played when I was 6 years old. I’m 26 now and back to play almost every day. just me head phone and these games. Never felt happier to keep going and going.
Music doesn't hit me the same way that others do. Unless I'm under the influence of psychedelics.
Great video and I love the intro graphic!
thanks man! Hahaha what kind of psychadelics are we talking about?
@@PressStartToContinueYT shrooms. It's the only way that music can affect me they way you talk about in this video. Other wise it's background static. I can appreciate it, but It doesn't "change" anything for me.
Excellent retrospective. I loved that GameXPlain documentary series! I hope they make new ones for DKC2 and 3.
I'm glad you highlighted Evelyn's work. I know it is more atmospheric and lower on tone, but I do feel like she makes the music fit in the level it's in. Northern Kremisphere is a solid example of it. I don't think that level could've been Wise-level emotional. It was meant to feel barren, lonely, dangerous.
I liked DKC3's OST and I also understand the criticisms of it. I think the music does fit the levels well, it's just a very relaxed game when compared to the others is all. Also Nuts n Bolts is kick ass.
I'm glad you also highlighted the DKC2 fanfare. I have never heard a logo fanfare that made me SO excited and pumped to start playing like it. Sends me shivers each time, excites me.
Lastly, I agree with the commenter who mentioned how technical limitations lead to incredible music. This is one of those things many SNES OSTs hold so strongly above other generations of consoles' VGM (a great example is the Follins brothers' work on SNES games like Plok and Spiderman and Xmen in Arcade's Revenge).
In some ways, as excellent as DKC:TF's OST is, it's too well composed, too polished, hi-fi. In doing so, it loses a bit of the digital gamey feel the SNES OSTs had. It's more orchestral vs being sample based.
Still excellent and fits the new generation of the DKC franchise well.
I'll just always miss the 16-bit sound.
Cleaning music🤣🤣😎👍
my wife loves to make fun of me hahaha
DKC 1 & 2 have a special place in my heart. Specially DKC 2. Is my favorite game of all time. The SNES belonged to my brother but I played it way more. And thanks to this games, I fell in love with videogames and made me today a gamer.
Hearing all the songs, reminds me of beautiful childhood memories with my mom. And it was the last game, me and my mom played together in my Wii U(virtual console). She passed away a few months later from lung cancer. They are a masterpiece.
Man, I'm sorry to hear that. I hope playing it today only brings you happy memories!
Anyone have a clip of him cleaning to dk music? Lol
lol my wife probably does
Forest Interlude is your favorite for DKC2…Seashore War for DKCTF…you and I must be spiritual brothers or something
I've watched old shows as a kid and I never stopped loving them.
But when I first look into Donkey Kong Country and its game music, it nearly changed my life.
I hope I can take the path of this type of nostalgia for the rest of my life just to see if I find a new purpose in life.
Great video!
But I have to say it's borderline criminal how you underrated DKC 3. There are many tracks that hit different.
I always felt that DKC 3's music is a tad bit darker and even more melancholic. This can be seen with the atmospheric track "Nuts N' Bolts" and the dark, mysterious "Treetop Trumble" and the hectic "Hot Pursuit".
Also both "Boss Boogey" and especially "Baron K. Roolenstein" are incredible. The latter is the best Boss Theme in the series in my opinion. It's so atmospheric that it fits perfectely for the last fight.
Then we even have some great, more ambient tracks like "Cavern Caprice" and "Cascade Capers" (also "Waterworld" and "Rockface Rumble" but you mentioned those).
DKC3 clearly can't beat DKC2 in term of music and gameplay, but it's way ahead of the first entry in my opinion.
I just think the whole soundtrack has a low, bassiness to it that doesn't sound that great.
@@PressStartToContinueYT That's fair. I suggest to check out the Restored DKC3 Ost on YT (done by Jammin' Sam Miller). You might enjoy those more.
Forest Frenzy is my favorite. I wake up to it every day. The echoing strings and marimbas make you feel like you’re out among the trees, and the snappy percussion is just what a monkey needs to get moving.
Corridors of Time from Chrono Trigger, Fisherman's Horizon from Final Fantasy VIII, and Stickerbrush Symphony from Donkey Kong Country 2 is music for true soul searching.
I used to take a cassette recorder to my TV and pause the levels on DKC2 and record the music when I was a kid. There is absolutely nothing in the world like the music in DKC & DKC2. I always get tears in my eyes when Stickerbrush Symphony is playing.
Donkey Kong Country is my earliest memory of video game music that has left an emotional impact on me. Of course i played alot of Mario World, All Stars, Sonic 2, and other games back then, but Donkey Country and its sequels are the first games where the music was so good i found myself pausing my snes just to listen to certain songs on loop and purposely going through levels for the music. Later games for the ps1 like the Spyro the Dragon Trilogy and Frogger: He's Back will give me similar feelings due to how much atmosphere, melodies, and interesting sounds the soundtrack goes through. The ps1 in general had so many ganes that made me appreciate the work that goes into video soundtracks.
The music takes me back to when i was 7 . Life was great back then
So much nostalgia. Wish i cud go back to the 90’s what a Magical era to grow up in . Memories I’ll never forget
During the summers when I was a kid, I'd print off sheet music from various Zelda games and power through it until I could play with both hands. I couldn't read the music. I never had lessons. I knew nothing about theory. And yet I learned at least a dozen songs. These days, I love learning about theory and playing bass guitar and piano. Any time I get frustrated, I just let those old OSTs wash over me and I remember the magic of music. And I can still bust out the Song of Storms any time.
What a cool story!
This is one of my favourite OSTs of all time. It's the most atmospheric OST i've ever heard. David Wise is a genius. Aaaand... DKC 3 is my favourite. I know, It's the less beloved, but it's the first that I played. So, one of the best games of my life.
I literally thought I was the only one who felt this way. 🥲. DK Country series were my favorite as a kid. Now as an Adult with all the stresses of life. Hearing DK music 🎶 not only brings me back but has helped get through a rough time in my life. Thank you for acknowledging what I hear as well 🎶
Agreed! Thanks for watching :)
You have found your tribe brother. You have arrived. Welcome 🤝
That one-two punch of Seashore War and the Stickerbush Symphony arrangement hit me straight in the heart. Two of the most emotional songs in video game history, up there with Undertale 071, Fi's Farewell from Skyward Sword, and Sad Girl from Mario Galaxy for me.
Him and Nobuo Uematsu are remarkable musicians. DKC music was purely hypnotic. As a very shy 90's kid I had no idea anybody else even played or really liked this game, so all this time later its wild to know how many others loved the games as much as me. I still hold them dear to me. I'd frequently play "Donkey Konk" as my Dad affectionately called it, with him. The colors, sounds, interaction, even the enemy sounds and names were memorable. Lots of care went into those games and its stunning even now. ♡
One thing I loved about the soundtrack for DKC2 was how there was different death themes composed to match up to the main stage’s music. Attention to detail.
such an underrated youtube channel. you have some of the best video essays on this platform.
Wow, thank you!
This looks like it'll be a great watch. These games are excellent by themselves but the music just really adds to the experience, there isn't a single bad song in the classic trilogy or when Retro took the wheel in the 2010s. I like that you mention the music has an emotional touch; for me, In A Snowbound Land from Donkey Kong Country 2 is probably the tune that gives me the most feelings.
Really hope you mention Cave Dweller Concert in this video, I love how that track conveys so many feelings at once. It starts out as just cave ambience, then gets a bit of a foreboding but curious vibe, then has parts that give you the feeling of "I really shouldn't be in here", and my absolute favorite part is at the end where it turns into a beautiful symphony for all but a few seconds until it goes back to ambience. This tune is so underappreciated despite being one of the longest tracks out of all the Donkey Kong Country series, going on for a whopping 2 minutes and 50 seconds before repeating.
Yeah, it really is a fantastic track. I only mentioned it for a blip, but the atmosphere the track creates is undeniable
Yeah I really relate to this video. Even though I went almost 10 years without DKC 1 and 2 at some point, but I could still remember Fear factory, aquatic ambience, Stickerbush, and the ice theme from DKC2
The music stuck around and manages to always bring me back to those days.
Nostalgia is the best power!
What I love about the series' music so much is that it contrasts what the mind expects from a certain setting.
Take Scorch n' Torch, a very demonic looking level with fire spewing everywhere. You would expect it to sound very calamitic and chaotic.
Instead, it sounds sad. Not scary sad, but a rather looming feeling of grief. It's like the notes are wailing in pain. But at some points the music gets a bit bouncy, like it's telling you "hey, I know this land is all ruined; but it's okay"
Or Stickerbrush Symphony. When I played it, I thought the music would be all jumpy and springy like the bramble vines.
But what I heard was so much better. The song focuses less on the presence of the brambles and more on the background of an empty sky; an infinite oasis of blue. In any other context it would seem unsettling, but here it sparks a feeling of melancholy and wonder.
Played Returns with my friend alot. He has since moved to the other end of the country. I cherish those moments with him fondly.
Stickerbush Symphony is my favorite song of all time, not game song no all time. I was 8 years old in 1995 and now at 34 writing this I can remember with perfect clarity the first time I heard Stickerbush. I put the controller down and just sat there staring at the screen trying to process the new wave of emotion that came over me.
I remember in that moment thinking to myself “I’m going to play video games for the rest of my life” and wanting this song to follow me wherever I went. That’s just my story with one song, much less the rest of the series music. I used to think I was crazy and that “games had truly rotted my brain” when I was around 12 but thanks to this internet thing I see things like this and realize I simply experienced greatness.
Thank you so much for this video.
Christmas 94’, I was 14 years old and Donkey kong country was highest on my wishlist. I will never forget that night playing this amazing game and that water level music, omg.. this game was a truly masterpiece. What a happy christmas:-)
I don’t think words can describe how much the DKC franchise means to me. David Wise is a legend. I doubt he even knows the influence his music has had on an entire generation. DKC2 ost was the GOAT, but then he came back and did tropical freeze… and that game and soundtrack completely blew my mind.
If I had one wish from Nintendo, it’d be to make another DKC game with David Wise composing.
It's 20 or 25 years later and I'm STILL listening to mining melancholy and disco train and the like. It really was something special, and then the algorithm sent me here.
This vid was a great love letter to a very talented musciian and his work. I love it.
The video game OST that has had this kind of impact on me is the original Spyro The Dragon trilogy on PS1, composed by former drummer of The Police, Stewart Copeland.
He created pieces of music that utilized very unique samples and soundfonts that created a distinct sound that still can't quite be mimicked today. When you hear a Spyro track, you know that it's Spyro music. Copeland managed to create music that both matched the dreamlike fantastical worlds with atmospheric instrumentation while also using rock and electronic music elements to give it some sense of groove.
Spyro 3's soundtrack is the crowning achievement on that, in my opinion. Anyone who's a classic Spyro fan sings Stewart Copeland's praises, but I really feel like most people don't give these soundtracks enough credit because they're honestly right up there with DKC and Sonic for being top-tier video game music.
I didn't realize he created music for Spyro, that's pretty cool!
Stewart Copeland is such an underrated drummer, and just an underrated musician in general. He also composed the theme song for a Star Wars series called Droids, was either the drummer or percussionist (i can’t remember) on the Peter Gabriel track Big Time, and, speaking of members of Genesis, was the drummer on Mike Rutherford’s solo album Acting Very Strange
What always stuck out to me besides the music were the levels and the fact the time of day or weather conditions would change during the level and this change continued into the next one. The snowy mountains in dkc were extremely memorable to me not just because of their difficulty but the way the weather progressed across stages--taking a reprieve from the raging blizzard outside yet it still made sense to go through the ice caverns as a route you'd be force to take given the conditions outside. It was also due it's music and how long it takes to get across the mountains, 4 stages in fact, 3 outside one inside, that I still vividly remember it to this day. But the music conveyed the sense of danger; the slippery slopes, slippery fast enemies, pitfalls, and limited visibility as it begins to snow hard really sell it.
The discovery of the ability to spam down on the menu screen to access the game's OST was basically the best moment in my childhood gaming memory.
We played DKC2 ost aaaaall the time.
You and I are the same, my friend. Your passion for the the DKC ost and the DKC 2 ost - it’s like you’re reading out of my diary. They very much inspired me to start writing music. Them and OOT.
Forest interlude got stucked in my head since the first time I've heard it. I was a seven years old kid who had DKC and just get the chance to rent DCK2... at first it was a plain experience with the Pirates and Ship themes... I have to admit I've enjoyed the fire/lava levels with that catchi tune... but everything in my life changed when we got to forest level... as Forest interlude started, my brain went out of this world and suddenly my room was surrounded by trees and birds... it was... a Magical experience.
TY I LOVED YOUR VIDEO.
Cliffside Rumble form dkc3 made me cry back in the day. And it makes me water eyed to this day. So many memories to fit in a single comment.
It's always so awesome to hear other people talk about their love and connection to the marvelous music of this series. DKC Music is one-of-a-kind and means the world to me
I have to comment on this video, because I’ve never heard anyone talk about VGM with such passion. Growing up, my brothers and I had a SNES and only six games, and DKC2 was one of them. We played this game over and over and over again. It must be my most played game. The game is great, but what sticks with you is the music. All the titles are perfect. I love Stickerbrush Symphony, Flight of the Zinger, and Forest Interlude. Nothing brings back childhood memories quite like this OST. My brothers favorite was always Stickerbrush, and he’d play the levels just to listen to the song. He passed away a few years ago, and I always visit this OST to remember him. Thanks for putting this together!
Where i live, rain is pretty rare, so when i was a kid i loved the jib jig soundtrack, now as an adult everytime it rains, i just play the song and watch the rain fall down through my window, DKC2 ost marked my life
And to show how emotional the music was. Watching the youtube clip of the 1994 developer hearing it for the first time is awesome.
I was probably 3 years old when I played DKC2 and Stickerbrush Symphony is the reason I have memories from that age. Back then my consciousness was still barely formed so my perception was a mixture of what was real and what were still dreams, so the emotion evoked from listening to this song while playing was nothing short of heavenly. I won't be able to feel that with the same intensity ever again but listening to it nowadays brings back the essence of what I felt back then. None of the other tracks in the franchise achieved this for some reason (not even Aquatic Ambience). I guess this piece of music has some unique quality to it.
I must confess:
I bought recently a Switch because I was obsessed by the OST of DK Country. Have never owned a Nintendo console before, but was absolutely amazed by that soundtrack.